Noted bird museum is in Camarillo and open to the public

Bird eggs, skins and nests dating to the early 1800s are part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo. The "bird museum," as it is known, is a nonprofit research institution with a collection of 250,000 sets of eggs, 56,000 bird skins and more than 18,000 nests — the largest such collection in the world.

Linnea Hall, executive director and wildlife ecologist of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, walks through the museum. The Camarillo "bird museum" is a nonprofit research institution with 250,000 sets of eggs, 56,000 bird skins and more than 18,000 nests — the largest such collection in the world.

A scissor-tailed flycatcher is displayed at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. Scientists and researchers from around the world use the Camarillo nonprofit center to conduct research.

Rene Corado, collections manager of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, shows peregrine falcon eggs, some collected in 1899. The Camarillo nonprofit research institution contributes to the conservation of birds and provides resources for scientists and others interested in the study of birds.

Rene Corado, collections manager of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, looks up information about a South African crowned crane. Scientists and researchers from around the world use the Camarillo center to conduct research.

Linnea Hall, executive director and wildlife ecologist of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, holds a mounted duck. The Camarillo "bird museum" is a nonprofit research institution with 250,000 sets of eggs, 56,000 bird skins and more than 18,000 nests — the largest such collection in the world.